A monk stands in the church of New Melleray Abbey in Peosta, Iowa. The monastery numbered 135 men in 1950, which dropped to just 35 a half century later. Like many other rural communities in Iowa, New Melleray is fading from existence.
Friends share drinks and laughs in Conesville, Iowa. Conesville is home to a large population of Latino immigrants as well as migrant workers during the summer months, most working for a large vegetable grower based in the small town.
Story Summary -- As I wander through the rural communities that surround my home in Iowa, I can feel the energy fading. Without government subsidies most farms in Iowa could not stay afloat. Old hands can still operate tractors, but innovation is…
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman reacts to Becca Tinker, left, who gave Lieberman an unimpressed 'Yeah,sure' response to his suggestion that he read them them a story a story while on the campaign trail at a daycare center in…